How Alvaro Vasquez took the thirty-five Moors.
When those ten Moors had been brought off to the caravels, Alvaro
Vasquez, like a man of noble birth, being desirous to show to all the
others that he loved the service of his lord, spake with Dinis Eannes,
to whom appertained the charge of the government for that day, saying
that it appeared to him a good thing to order the people to go forth,
since their coming from their own country was principally for that end.
"How can you ask," said Dinis Eannes, "that we should again sally forth
where we have been so often, insomuch that all this land has had warning
of our presence? And of two things me seemeth that one would happen;
either we should not light upon any Moors to take away, or we should
encounter so many that it would be to our great danger to make an attack
upon them; and so much the more as I am ill disposed for a fight by
reason of weariness. Wherefore me thinketh it would not be well for us
to sally forth again, as far as this land lieth, but that we should go
onwards till we come to a place where we know well they could not be
advised of us." And as they were going in accordance with that resolve,
one part of the night being already passed, Alvaro Vasquez, still
constant to his first design, came again to Dinis Eannes, and begged him
to let him go on shore and entrust him with the charge of his captaincy,
for that he knew many would go with him of right good will. "Inasmuch as
this sally pleaseth you so greatly," said Dinis Eannes, "I only ask you
that in your going you take good advisement that you bring no harm on
yourselves nor sorrow on the rest of us." Then Alvaro Vasquez called
Diego Gil, that other esquire of whom we spoke before, for he knew him
for a brave man and one of his own upbringing; and they went through the
other caravels in such wise that they gathered together those persons
whom they thought sufficient for their safety. And all together they
went on shore--there being yet some part of the night left for their
march--but ere they had pressed on any farther, Alvaro Vasquez, wishful
to admonish them, spake unto them thus. "Friends and Gentlemen, although
I am not one of those three principal captains whom we brought with us
from our kingdom, let it suffice that I am committed to you as captain
by him who had the charge to command you. And because want of order is
often a greater obstacle[A] than the multitude of the enemy, I desire
first to know of you if it please you to have me for captain in this
affair, that I may command you as men well pleased to receive
governance; for much better were it that you should tell me now at this
present, where we cannot well receive any harm, than when we are away
from here, in some place where your disobedience might do hurt, not only
to me, but also to every one of us in this company."
[Footnote A: To victory.]
"We are all well content," said the others with one voice, "that you
should be our captain, and well it pleaseth us to obey you as fully as
any one of the other captains, and even better, if we can more perfectly
do it."[B]
[Footnote B: Our intended action.]
"Now," said he, "it seemeth well to me that we should go forward
according to the same ordinance as on the other day, to wit, that I
should go with some of you others along the land, and that the remainder
should keep in the boats within call of us." And so, setting out and
following the coast a good way, they fell in with a cape, to which they
gave the name of St. Anne;[N113] and immediately after that they lighted
upon an arm of the sea which ran up into the land about four leagues,
and appeared to them as though it were a river. And on reaching the
entrance of the same, Alvaro Vasquez waited for the others in the boats,
and when they had come up he bade them wait for him there, whilst he
went along that water, for he conceived that if any people lived in that
land it would be there. The others said that such an expedition would be
very perilous, if only because the sun was already very high, and the
heat of it was great, and they were very weary for the great lack they
had had of sleep, and the toil of some in rowing, and of others in going
on foot; and all the more because even if there were in that place a
number of inhabitants, yet they could not make any good booty among
them, because of necessity they would discern them from afar; and that
if the natives perceived themselves strong enough to fight with them,
they would await them, but if not, they could put themselves in safety
quite easily. Alvaro Vasquez nevertheless pursued his journey as one who
had determined to accomplish some great matter if his fortune were not
contrary; and so, going forward about a league and a half, one of the
company said to the Captain, "Methinks I see along this stream some
rising objects like houses." The Captain looked attentively, and right
well perceived that it was a village, and so it appeared to all the
others who were there. "Now," said Alvaro Vasquez, "our booty is before
our eyes, but it is so clearly discovered that of necessity we shall be
seen before we can arrive at it; and because it doth not appear to me to
be so great a settlement as that it can hold a people with whom we
cannot cope, still, in order that we may achieve some sort of success,
let each one run as fast as he can, and so let us stoutly fall upon
them, and if we are not able to make captives of the young men, yet let
us seize upon the old men, the women, and the little children, and let
us take such advisement that whosoever putteth himself on his defence
shall be slain without pity; and as to the others, let us seize them as
best we can." And before he had quite finished these reasons, many of
them began to increase their pace, while others were running as fast as
they could; and the Moors,[N114] like unwary people, little recking of
such a danger, when their enemies came upon them, were all thrown into
that confusion which the fortune of the case required. And when they saw
men coming upon them so suddenly and so boldly, and armed with weapons
quite strange to them, they were altogether amazed. Whereat our men took
so much the greater boldness, seeing their timorous disorder, and at
once began to seize upon as many of them as they could, and seeing that
some sought to put themselves on their defence, they slew them without
mercy. But the affair lasted not long at that time, for that the enemy
soon began to fly. And there were many amongst them who then looked on
their wives and children for the last time, and in a short space the
booty would have been much larger if that arm of the sea had not been so
near that many of them escaped into it, inasmuch as for the most part,
not only the men but also the women and the children, all knew how to
swim. And others who were bold and light-footed, trusting in their
fleetness, escaped through all; though some were deceived in it, for
they found others of our men who followed and captured them in spite of
their lightness of foot, so that in all there were taken captive
thirty-five, besides some that perished. Of a surety that Esquire who,
as we have said, was their captain, found no little praise for that deed
of his, since for a great space they discoursed of his energy and
diligence, giving him thanks for the great toil he had undergone, as
well for the service of the Infant as for the profit of them all in that
journey. And, moreover, those who had stayed in the caravels were not a
little glad at the coming of their partners with so good a profit, and
this joy of theirs was much increased when they had heard in full
measure the particulars of the adventure which the others had had.